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Dear America
Hear My Sorrow: The Diary of Angela Denoto, a Shirtwaist Worker, New York City 1909
One of our final two Dear Americas, drama and history meet in this moving diary of an Italian immigrant girl who works in a shirtwaist factory in New York, as the labor unions begin to organize.
Angela and her family have arrived in New York City from their village in Italy to find themselves settled in a small tenement apartment on the Lower East Side. When her father is no longer able to work, Angela must leave school and work in a shirtwaist factory.
Against the backdrop of the birth of the labor union movement in the early 1900s, Angela plays a part in the drama and turmoil that erupt as the workers begin to strike, protesting the terrible conditions in the sweatshops. And she records the horrors of the Triangle Factory fire and the triumphs and sorrows of the labor movement.
Angela and her family have arrived in New York City from their village in Italy to find themselves settled in a small tenement apartment on the Lower East Side. When her father is no longer able to work, Angela must leave school and work in a shirtwaist factory.
Against the backdrop of the birth of the labor union movement in the early 1900s, Angela plays a part in the drama and turmoil that erupt as the workers begin to strike, protesting the terrible conditions in the sweatshops. And she records the horrors of the Triangle Factory fire and the triumphs and sorrows of the labor movement.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
50 people are currently reading
2513 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Hopkinson
97 books368 followersI write nonfiction and historical fiction, picture books, and Golden Books. I speak at school, libraries, and conferences. I also love to garden and offer manuscript critiques. (Deborahhopkinson@yahoo.com)
NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.
I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.
NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.
I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 12, 2020
This is probably the only middle grade book that I've been so horrified by upon reread. The scenes of the fire and its aftermath are pretty much the only scenes that I've been so thoroughly unsettled by, between the girls who fell down the elevator shaft, the ones who jumped from the windows, and the fireman's nets breaking upon impact, this is one brutal story about a tragedy that isn't talked enough about.
I'm actually starting to see a recurring theme; Dear America books are at their best when they're about the undiscussed. Besides The Winter of the Red Snow, Hear My Sorrow and The Fences Between Us are my favorites of this line (and honestly, most of my love for TWOTRS is based on nostalgia as opposed to excellency).
I'm actually starting to see a recurring theme; Dear America books are at their best when they're about the undiscussed. Besides The Winter of the Red Snow, Hear My Sorrow and The Fences Between Us are my favorites of this line (and honestly, most of my love for TWOTRS is based on nostalgia as opposed to excellency).
March 21, 2022
The Dear America series is hands down (in my opinion) one of the best for readers with an unquenchable love and fascination for history. This one in particular is one of my favs because it takes place during the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and I've always found this particular time period interesting. Uprising is another really amazing read similar to this. The Alpha-Dye Shirt Factory: After Dinner Conversation Short Story Series was an interesting read as well.
If you do decide to read this one, keep tissues handy. It's a heart-wrenching story of loss, suffering, and dilemma. I admire Angela's and Sarah's strength and persistence despite so many obstacles. All the characters were believable and the writing style was flawless. It was so easy to get lost in the story and feel each victory and sorrow.
All in all, a beautiful and moving fictional account of a dark time in America. Can't recommend this enough for any age. 5 stars! I need to buy my own copy.
If you do decide to read this one, keep tissues handy. It's a heart-wrenching story of loss, suffering, and dilemma. I admire Angela's and Sarah's strength and persistence despite so many obstacles. All the characters were believable and the writing style was flawless. It was so easy to get lost in the story and feel each victory and sorrow.
All in all, a beautiful and moving fictional account of a dark time in America. Can't recommend this enough for any age. 5 stars! I need to buy my own copy.
January 21, 2020
Wow, i have no words to express how empowering this book was. It opened my eyes to the lives of people working in sweatshops, or in Angela's case, a shirtwaist company. I was very moved by this book and recommend it to anyone reading this comment!
March 29, 2010
I picked this up on a whim at the library in the young adult section. It is a fictional journal account of a young girl based on real events that took place in the sweatshops of New York at the turn of the century. It was a quick read, but educational and eye-opening to the working conditions of these early years.
Read
March 9, 2019this was one of the 2 DA books i was looking forward to the most and OH BOY am I upset
EDIT: I am upset in a good way. I enjoyed this very much and it made me sad
EDIT: I am upset in a good way. I enjoyed this very much and it made me sad
February 3, 2016
Angela is a young girl of poor parents who lives in New York in 1909. Although she would like to continue school it becomes necessary for her to drop out of school and get a job in a factory where they make women's clothes.
The book centers around the absolutely horrible working conditions that the girls had to suffer under, including incredibly low pay, incredibly long hours and virtually no safety procedures at all. The girls have a nasty floor boss who is always telling them to work faster.
There is also a lot of time devoted to the girls trying to form a union and become part of a bigger union and a strike that they have to try and get better working conditions. Since so many of the girls come from poor families, however, some of them end up going back to work anyhow or going to work at another factory that is not being affected by the strike.
There is a very disturbing section which tells about an actual historical event, the Triangle Waist Company fire of March 25, 1911 in which 146 workers, most of which were women and girls, died. They died since they worked on the top two floors of the building which were beyond the reach of the fire ladders, and in most of the doors were locked to prevent girls from stealing things, sneaking out, etc. The result was that the girls were unable to escape the fire (remember, at this time there were no sprinkler systems or anything like that at all), and those who tried to jump out the window were killed when they fell since the nets the firemen used were not strong enough to stop the momentum of people jumping from such a height.
It shows just how horribly abused workers were by big business of the time, something which seems to be happening more and more even in today's world, especially in retail jobs.
The chapter describing what Angela saw when she got to the scene of the fire might disturb some younger readers and parents might want to be available to talk to them after they read this book. Still, it's an very worthwhile book, showing a dark part of our own history.
The book centers around the absolutely horrible working conditions that the girls had to suffer under, including incredibly low pay, incredibly long hours and virtually no safety procedures at all. The girls have a nasty floor boss who is always telling them to work faster.
There is also a lot of time devoted to the girls trying to form a union and become part of a bigger union and a strike that they have to try and get better working conditions. Since so many of the girls come from poor families, however, some of them end up going back to work anyhow or going to work at another factory that is not being affected by the strike.
There is a very disturbing section which tells about an actual historical event, the Triangle Waist Company fire of March 25, 1911 in which 146 workers, most of which were women and girls, died. They died since they worked on the top two floors of the building which were beyond the reach of the fire ladders, and in most of the doors were locked to prevent girls from stealing things, sneaking out, etc. The result was that the girls were unable to escape the fire (remember, at this time there were no sprinkler systems or anything like that at all), and those who tried to jump out the window were killed when they fell since the nets the firemen used were not strong enough to stop the momentum of people jumping from such a height.
It shows just how horribly abused workers were by big business of the time, something which seems to be happening more and more even in today's world, especially in retail jobs.
The chapter describing what Angela saw when she got to the scene of the fire might disturb some younger readers and parents might want to be available to talk to them after they read this book. Still, it's an very worthwhile book, showing a dark part of our own history.
February 9, 2017
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
✱ Uprising
✱ Threads and Flames
✱ Ashes of Roses
✱ Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
✱ Uprising
✱ Threads and Flames
✱ Ashes of Roses
✱ Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
September 17, 2018
I thought Angela wouldn’t be the funny girl I remember, but luckily, she still makes me laugh. Her understanding attitude inspired me to be understanding towards the 1909 worker strike and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. I’m glad Angela got the happy ending she deserved.
April 21, 2009
I STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone and everyone! THE BEST book I've ever read!
December 30, 2023
"Warning! Saddest book ever!"--This note was scrawled inside the cover of my library copy of this book.
And indeed, this is one of the more upsetting entries in the series with a graphic but historically accurate climax. Even before the scene of the fire, death haunts the pages of this book in a very realistic way. One can't help but feel brokenhearted when clever Angela must withdraw from school at age 14--and for all the other clever children like her who had to set aside education opportunities to support their families. But I also had a deep appreciation for how the families in the tenement building look after each other during hard times.
This is the final book in the original series, and it was an incredibly strong way to end, especially after so many lackluster books in the latter half of the series. Hopkinson does a great job of getting into the nuances of the labor movement: the hard choices families had to make and how people from different backgrounds chose to be involved (or not involved) in strikes, rallies, etc.
A young reader who is not familiar with the disaster will probably find the ending to be shocking, and that would make for a really exciting reading experience. But in some ways, as a reader who knew what the book was building too, it was almost more devastating to know what would inevitably happen and how despite the characters' activism, they were powerless to prevent the event from happening.
This book reminded me of another one of my favorites in the series, Dreams In the Golden Country, which covers a similar time period and events. I'm going to continue reading the 7 books in the relaunched series, but this signals the end of the "OG" series.
And indeed, this is one of the more upsetting entries in the series with a graphic but historically accurate climax. Even before the scene of the fire, death haunts the pages of this book in a very realistic way. One can't help but feel brokenhearted when clever Angela must withdraw from school at age 14--and for all the other clever children like her who had to set aside education opportunities to support their families. But I also had a deep appreciation for how the families in the tenement building look after each other during hard times.
This is the final book in the original series, and it was an incredibly strong way to end, especially after so many lackluster books in the latter half of the series. Hopkinson does a great job of getting into the nuances of the labor movement: the hard choices families had to make and how people from different backgrounds chose to be involved (or not involved) in strikes, rallies, etc.
A young reader who is not familiar with the disaster will probably find the ending to be shocking, and that would make for a really exciting reading experience. But in some ways, as a reader who knew what the book was building too, it was almost more devastating to know what would inevitably happen and how despite the characters' activism, they were powerless to prevent the event from happening.
This book reminded me of another one of my favorites in the series, Dreams In the Golden Country, which covers a similar time period and events. I'm going to continue reading the 7 books in the relaunched series, but this signals the end of the "OG" series.
March 10, 2021
The ongoing problem with this series is it sucks when you know what happens, what horrible event is coming down the pike. I knew the event coming up at the end of the plot, but so much time was spent really engaging in this wonderful tale of a Sicilian immigrant girl contending with her ideals, her dreams, her family needs, her ambitions, all against the backdrop of the union strikes at the turn of the century, I kind of forgot to prepare myself. And then when the author got there, the WENT there, and it was brutal and turned the whole concept I had of the characters in this book on its head. The thoughtfulness and the honesty in this book was really obvious to the reader and is deeply appreciated.
May 7, 2021
Learned a lot about the labor movement in New York in the first decade of the 20th century, especially dynamics among different ethnic groups in the working class (mostly Russian Jewish, and Italian). I expected this to be focused on the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, which i already knew a lot about, but the narrative actually starts over a year before Triangle and focuses on a large strike of women and girl workers in 1909-10. Well written, engaging and sympathetic main character with a complicated set of family relationships and levels of support with the labor movement.
June 8, 2025
learned a lot about this fire in 1911
November 27, 2011
Fourteen year old Angela Denoto has left Sicily, Italy for New York and went to school to learn for four years. Now she must start work in a shirtwaist factory with her sister Luisa. She becomes friends with Clara and Sarah, both workers in the same factory. When the strike comes, Sarah convinces Angela to join. Right when they think everything is finally settling down, the Triangle Waist factory, where Clara, Luisa and Luisa's best friend Rosa work, catches fire. The owners, locked the doors so no one may leave and when the elevator gets jammed, girls are forced to jump out the window to escaped death, only to find it on the hard pavement below. Rosa dies this way, and Clara falls into an elevator shaft and dies. Angela's life has brought the deaths of everyone she knows, including her sister Teresa, who dies of pneumonia a year before the fire.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2015
I was really surprised at how sad this book made me. I knew about the strikes and the Triangle Factory fire so I thought I would be prepared. But this book is surprisingly heartfelt and I really felt for the main character who is caught between wanting to get decent working conditions and needing the little money that she gets to support her impoverished family. The descriptions of the actual fire were truly heartbreaking and the thought of being trapped in that building is terrifying. I think this novel is still relevant today because large companies still do have a lot of control over their workers but thankfully working conditions have at least improved. It makes me grateful that I have a comfortable job.
June 12, 2018
So a workmate and I got into a discussion about how much we enjoyed these books as pre-teens (and how they maybe influenced us to work with history as a career) and decided to re-read some of these to see if get hold up. Of course I picked one about a great tragedy first, because I am nothing if not predictable. These books, or at least this one, do hold up. It was a very good read and this 30 year old who works in a museum learned something too!
December 8, 2007
i think this is a great book for everyone to read. i would like to tell you though, it is somewhat graphic and it DID make me cry , but it is a great book!
October 3, 2008
Angela is a shirtwaist worker and a speaker. It's a sad but good book. All the other books in the Dear America series are good books.
October 17, 2008
This is a great book. It was extremely sad and I cried when I read it. It's a good way to see how it was for young shirtwaist worker girls at the time.
June 26, 2013
Ugh! I'm so sick of book after book in this series being about unions... unions are NOT the answer to labor problems!!!!
May 6, 2009
hear her sorrow...so sad
October 20, 2021
The Denoto family came to America in 1905, if my math is right. Angela is the second oldest, after her sister Luisa who is a factory shirtwaist worker. She has a younger brother, Vito, and the youngest is her sister Teresa.
The book starts with Angela writing about how her teacher gifted her with a diary upon hearing that she, like many Italian girls, is leaving school at the age of 14 in order to go to work to help provide for her family. Angela actually likes school, so when the teacher promise to give her another if she fills this one she vows to do so with her own personal thoughts and feelings. She leaves school and starts working at one of the smaller workhouses that her sister currently works at. Her job? Trimming threads from freshly sown articles of clothing. All day for an insane amount of time. She talks about waking before dawn and not leaving till 8pm...what is that? a 14 hour day? With no overtime and no extra pay for the extra hour worked.
Staff have to pay a quarter for a locker and 5 cents per needle they use in the machine. These girls make only $7-$14 a week. I believe (based on how she talks) Angela and even her sister are on the lower end of that. A WEEK! Rent is $14 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment for 6 people. Angela's father works sporadically due to a shoulder injury. Her mother buys disassembled flowers, then makes, and resales the fake flowers hat makers use for ladies' hats. It doesn't pay much, but it's something. So altogether they maybe pull in $16-$20 a week. This has to cover coal, food, rent, clothing, etc for 6 people. Angela's family is obviously struggling to make ends meet.
But good fortune has Angela upgraded to operator, a girl who sews, not trims. She makes a bit better money but it's a more hazardous job and she does get her fingers sewn, which is very painful. But soon there is mass unrest and the working women in factories strike for reduced hours, and better pay. Angela gets sucked in through her new friend Sarah. Sarah and Clara are pretty active on the picket lines, with Luisa trying to stay completely out of it and Angela hanging around the union hall. She gets sucked into it when Sarah volunteers her to be a translator for the Italians.
The strike lasts well over a week and Angela's sister decides to go work for the Triangle company for slightly better pay and slightly more job security, crossing the picket line and changing employers to boot. Vito drops out of school at 13 to help bring in money as a shoe-shiner. Teresa gets sick as the family saves money by cutting down on the amount of coal they use to heat their little apartment. Angela is worried, but chooses to wait out her employer. Finally her employer gives and signs an agreement with the union. Angela and the other girls will have 52 hour work weeks, with regular pay for overtime, and a slight pay raise. That's it.
Tragedy strikes and Angela is left feeling guilty. You think this would be around the time the diary would quit, but no. It continues on and gives a rather graphic (for a children's book) and horrible account of Angela witnesses the fire at the Triangle company building. Her sister and their family friend Rosa work on the 9th floor. This was absolutely horrible to read about, but the impact was ABSOLUTELY profound!
Like holy sh!t.
Luisa is lucky and escapes in the last elevator cart from the top floor before the mechanism fails under the intense heat of the flame. She tells Angela that the women couldn't escape any other way because their employers lock them in so they couldn't 'not' work. Wow. Just wow....
The diary of Angela continues as she talks about the Red Cross covering funerals, how the final death toll was 146 people and how 7 were unclaimed. She participates in the march the drew over 120,000 people to either watch a participate to show respect to the victims and resolve of the people to make sure such a thing never happens again. The men's union then strikes. Better organized, and because they are men, they get 50 hour work weeks, better pay, double pay overtime, and 10 days holidays. The women, again, only got 52 work work weeks and a pay raise from the companies that signed on. Big companies, like the one that operated the Triangle factory, are forced into signing.
It is really tragic that this true event in history took place and that workers had to mobilize and fight so hard for what should have been basic laborer rights. Workers shouldn't have to pay for their own work equipment like scissors, needles and thread. They shouldn't have to rent lockers at an inflated rate (25 cents per locker, when an apartment costs $14 a month). And this just shows what often happens without the working people looking out for their fellow working people. I guess this book was a huge reminder what unions exist and how not all employers are benevolent enough to treat their staff like proper human beings. It shows what greed did, and what it can do again if people in power aren't held in check.
As an adult, this was extremely powerful and thought provoking. My parting words to the book were "Well that was extremely depressing...wow." And as many who know me know, I thoroughly enjoy a depressing book that leaves me in a highly reflective mood.
As a child...this book is a bit on the graphic side so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that has a more sensitive child. People die in this book and it is extremely sad, particularly because it's a true event. The characters may have been fictional, but the total number of people who died are not.
Conclusion?
A deeply thought provoking Dear America book suitable for preteens, teens and adults alike who are mature enough to handle the death of characters and the fact that they represent real people. The author got me invested in these characters and then stomped on my heart some before giving it back. I appreciate that. A good heart stomping to get the brain into a reflective state is a weird sensation that I enjoy once it's over.
Warning: Depicts child death due to illness, third party knowledge of parent death, death of friends , third party knowledge of police brutality and wrongful harassment, child labour, mild employee harassment, accidental harm to one's self...think that about covers it.
The book starts with Angela writing about how her teacher gifted her with a diary upon hearing that she, like many Italian girls, is leaving school at the age of 14 in order to go to work to help provide for her family. Angela actually likes school, so when the teacher promise to give her another if she fills this one she vows to do so with her own personal thoughts and feelings. She leaves school and starts working at one of the smaller workhouses that her sister currently works at. Her job? Trimming threads from freshly sown articles of clothing. All day for an insane amount of time. She talks about waking before dawn and not leaving till 8pm...what is that? a 14 hour day? With no overtime and no extra pay for the extra hour worked.
Staff have to pay a quarter for a locker and 5 cents per needle they use in the machine. These girls make only $7-$14 a week. I believe (based on how she talks) Angela and even her sister are on the lower end of that. A WEEK! Rent is $14 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment for 6 people. Angela's father works sporadically due to a shoulder injury. Her mother buys disassembled flowers, then makes, and resales the fake flowers hat makers use for ladies' hats. It doesn't pay much, but it's something. So altogether they maybe pull in $16-$20 a week. This has to cover coal, food, rent, clothing, etc for 6 people. Angela's family is obviously struggling to make ends meet.
But good fortune has Angela upgraded to operator, a girl who sews, not trims. She makes a bit better money but it's a more hazardous job and she does get her fingers sewn, which is very painful. But soon there is mass unrest and the working women in factories strike for reduced hours, and better pay. Angela gets sucked in through her new friend Sarah. Sarah and Clara are pretty active on the picket lines, with Luisa trying to stay completely out of it and Angela hanging around the union hall. She gets sucked into it when Sarah volunteers her to be a translator for the Italians.
The strike lasts well over a week and Angela's sister decides to go work for the Triangle company for slightly better pay and slightly more job security, crossing the picket line and changing employers to boot. Vito drops out of school at 13 to help bring in money as a shoe-shiner. Teresa gets sick as the family saves money by cutting down on the amount of coal they use to heat their little apartment. Angela is worried, but chooses to wait out her employer. Finally her employer gives and signs an agreement with the union. Angela and the other girls will have 52 hour work weeks, with regular pay for overtime, and a slight pay raise. That's it.
Tragedy strikes and Angela is left feeling guilty. You think this would be around the time the diary would quit, but no. It continues on and gives a rather graphic (for a children's book) and horrible account of Angela witnesses the fire at the Triangle company building. Her sister and their family friend Rosa work on the 9th floor. This was absolutely horrible to read about, but the impact was ABSOLUTELY profound!
Like holy sh!t.
Luisa is lucky and escapes in the last elevator cart from the top floor before the mechanism fails under the intense heat of the flame. She tells Angela that the women couldn't escape any other way because their employers lock them in so they couldn't 'not' work. Wow. Just wow....
The diary of Angela continues as she talks about the Red Cross covering funerals, how the final death toll was 146 people and how 7 were unclaimed. She participates in the march the drew over 120,000 people to either watch a participate to show respect to the victims and resolve of the people to make sure such a thing never happens again. The men's union then strikes. Better organized, and because they are men, they get 50 hour work weeks, better pay, double pay overtime, and 10 days holidays. The women, again, only got 52 work work weeks and a pay raise from the companies that signed on. Big companies, like the one that operated the Triangle factory, are forced into signing.
It is really tragic that this true event in history took place and that workers had to mobilize and fight so hard for what should have been basic laborer rights. Workers shouldn't have to pay for their own work equipment like scissors, needles and thread. They shouldn't have to rent lockers at an inflated rate (25 cents per locker, when an apartment costs $14 a month). And this just shows what often happens without the working people looking out for their fellow working people. I guess this book was a huge reminder what unions exist and how not all employers are benevolent enough to treat their staff like proper human beings. It shows what greed did, and what it can do again if people in power aren't held in check.
As an adult, this was extremely powerful and thought provoking. My parting words to the book were "Well that was extremely depressing...wow." And as many who know me know, I thoroughly enjoy a depressing book that leaves me in a highly reflective mood.
As a child...this book is a bit on the graphic side so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone that has a more sensitive child. People die in this book and it is extremely sad, particularly because it's a true event. The characters may have been fictional, but the total number of people who died are not.
Conclusion?
A deeply thought provoking Dear America book suitable for preteens, teens and adults alike who are mature enough to handle the death of characters and the fact that they represent real people. The author got me invested in these characters and then stomped on my heart some before giving it back. I appreciate that. A good heart stomping to get the brain into a reflective state is a weird sensation that I enjoy once it's over.
Warning: Depicts child death due to illness, third party knowledge of parent death, death of friends , third party knowledge of police brutality and wrongful harassment, child labour, mild employee harassment, accidental harm to one's self...think that about covers it.
November 6, 2025
This is the first Dear America I've read where I was unfamiliar with the historical event it was centered around. I actually learned quite a lot while reading this. I didn't even know what a shirtwaist worker was, let alone the strike that ensued preceding a horrible fire that would have had a much lower death toll if that strike had received more support. I fell into a huge Wikipedia rabbit whole after I initially finished read this book. Angela's voice was very engaging to read. It was interesting seeing her journey from wanting to work for her family to wanting to strike for herself.
There's a lot of things I know I take for granted simply because I was born into an era that didn't have to struggle for so many things. Women have many struggles to face today, but I've always been able to vote, work a 40 hour week, make a livable wage, and have autonomy over the way I live my life. It's easy to forget that many of these things weren't true just barely 100 years ago. Books like these are really great for putting things into perspective.
There's a lot of things I know I take for granted simply because I was born into an era that didn't have to struggle for so many things. Women have many struggles to face today, but I've always been able to vote, work a 40 hour week, make a livable wage, and have autonomy over the way I live my life. It's easy to forget that many of these things weren't true just barely 100 years ago. Books like these are really great for putting things into perspective.
February 26, 2024
This book was so good. Angela is a daughter of Italian immigrants to America. I really enjoyed reading more about the Italian culture, which I haven't read about before. The Triangle Factory fire was a horrendous tragedy.
Angela goes through so much. Although her diary ends on an uncertain note as she marches through the rain, her story is not without hope.
Angela goes through so much. Although her diary ends on an uncertain note as she marches through the rain, her story is not without hope.
October 16, 2019
Hear My Sorrow is very similar to Dreams in the Golden Country, detailing the lives of an immigrant family (Italian rather than Jewish) in New York City right after the turn of the century. However, while Dreams was a bit more of a hodge-podge in regards to its balancing of key events and ideas, Hear My Sorrow really brings those ideas to the forefront while still retaining an individual feel to the voice of Angela.
Hear My Sorrow discusses labor unions, the clash of cultures in NYC and the representation of those cultures in the unions, factory work, and, of course, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in US history. It also deals with family, as well, with the tight-knit Denoto family and their Italian background.
Hopkinson highlights many reasons why girls (and other workers) joined strikes, as well as why they became “scabs”—strike breakers who went back to work during a strike. This is especially apparent in the tension between Angela and her sister Luisa, and with the rest of her family, as Angela stays on strike while Luisa returns to work to help provide for the family. Hopkinson also touches on the conflict between school and work as she describes how many girls had to drop out of school to earn money so their families could survive.
The description of the fire itself is brutally clear for a children’s book. Hopkinson only barely softens the edges by leaving out graphic details; otherwise, every horrific moment is described through the eyes of Angela, who can barely realize what is happening (another softener, but again, just barely). The descriptions of the girls jumping out of the windows because there was literally no other option for them also brought to my mind the memory of the World Trade Center burning on 9/11. Not an image Hopkinson was consciously trying to bring to the surface, probably, but the resonance made the scene even more powerful.
In terms of describing history, Hear My Sorrow is one of the more successful Dear America books in its detail and depiction of the period. There’s a little bit lacking in terms of story and voice, but the book packs a lot of punch and is one of the more vivid and memorable entries in the series.
Hear My Sorrow discusses labor unions, the clash of cultures in NYC and the representation of those cultures in the unions, factory work, and, of course, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, one of the deadliest industrial disasters in US history. It also deals with family, as well, with the tight-knit Denoto family and their Italian background.
Hopkinson highlights many reasons why girls (and other workers) joined strikes, as well as why they became “scabs”—strike breakers who went back to work during a strike. This is especially apparent in the tension between Angela and her sister Luisa, and with the rest of her family, as Angela stays on strike while Luisa returns to work to help provide for the family. Hopkinson also touches on the conflict between school and work as she describes how many girls had to drop out of school to earn money so their families could survive.
The description of the fire itself is brutally clear for a children’s book. Hopkinson only barely softens the edges by leaving out graphic details; otherwise, every horrific moment is described through the eyes of Angela, who can barely realize what is happening (another softener, but again, just barely). The descriptions of the girls jumping out of the windows because there was literally no other option for them also brought to my mind the memory of the World Trade Center burning on 9/11. Not an image Hopkinson was consciously trying to bring to the surface, probably, but the resonance made the scene even more powerful.
In terms of describing history, Hear My Sorrow is one of the more successful Dear America books in its detail and depiction of the period. There’s a little bit lacking in terms of story and voice, but the book packs a lot of punch and is one of the more vivid and memorable entries in the series.
March 6, 2014
1909 This was the time when clothes ceased to be made at home and were mass produced in "garment factories." The Industrial Revolution was in full swing! Millions of immigrants had hit the shores of New York City and most of the females worked in the garment industry. By 1910, 70% of the 83,000 workers were young Jewish and Italian girls and women. Thirteen was the age to begin and most did it to help their families. Wages were anywhere from $7.00 - $14.00 a week. Families of 5 were crowded into 3 room tenements and rent was about $14.00 per month. There were approximately 2700 shops and about 600 were strictly to mass produce shirtwaist blouses.
Shop owners hired subcontractors to run production. That is why conditions were so harsh. Workers often paid for their needles and thread. They were charged $.25/day for a locker for coats, gloves, and personal effects. Workers often worked 10 hour days, six days per week. The Strike of 1909 - 1910, often referred to as the "Uprising of Twenty Thouseand", was the largest strike ever at that time and organized by women! Remember this is when women are struggling for the right to vote. This is also when women began to work outside the home and bring home a paycheck. This strike was the first of many and gave others workers in clothing trades the courage to demand better working conditions. By 1910, smaller operations had met worker demands and only the larger facilities like the Triangle Company had held out. They stayed open during all the previous strikes by paying off police and thugs to harass strikers and protect scab workers.
After the Asch Building caught fire and 146 young girls died, citizens of NY all became aware of deplorable conditions. It took tragic deaths to demand worker safety. New York passed massive reform laws and made commissions to inspect for safer work places.
An interesting note: The Asch Building is now owned by NYU and the previous owners, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, were investigated for manslaughter, and acquitted, in spite of locked doors on the ninth floor and faulty fire escapes.
Shop owners hired subcontractors to run production. That is why conditions were so harsh. Workers often paid for their needles and thread. They were charged $.25/day for a locker for coats, gloves, and personal effects. Workers often worked 10 hour days, six days per week. The Strike of 1909 - 1910, often referred to as the "Uprising of Twenty Thouseand", was the largest strike ever at that time and organized by women! Remember this is when women are struggling for the right to vote. This is also when women began to work outside the home and bring home a paycheck. This strike was the first of many and gave others workers in clothing trades the courage to demand better working conditions. By 1910, smaller operations had met worker demands and only the larger facilities like the Triangle Company had held out. They stayed open during all the previous strikes by paying off police and thugs to harass strikers and protect scab workers.
After the Asch Building caught fire and 146 young girls died, citizens of NY all became aware of deplorable conditions. It took tragic deaths to demand worker safety. New York passed massive reform laws and made commissions to inspect for safer work places.
An interesting note: The Asch Building is now owned by NYU and the previous owners, Isaac Harris and Max Blanck, were investigated for manslaughter, and acquitted, in spite of locked doors on the ninth floor and faulty fire escapes.
April 10, 2017
I set about a couple years ago trying to locate through either libraries or used bookstores, all of the Dear America books I had never read. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only were there many more than I had anticipated, but that they are often difficult to locate. This is encouraging in one sense, (as few girls seem to want to sell their copies) but also mildly frustrating, as it makes it more difficult for me to expand my collection!
Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. While I have my favorites of the series, ("A Coal Miner's Bride," "Christmas After All,") this one struck a chord with me in particular in this heated political climate. As a union woman myself, (SAG-AFTRA, soon to be AEA) and raised in a family of pro-unioners as well, (NEA, Mechanic's Union) this text, while being VERY depressing, was exactly what I needed to read right now. It has reminded me why I fight; why I have stood on picket lines and protested until the dead of a frigid night, or for hours in unrelenting heat in the summer: that I protest not just for myself, but for workers everywhere whose voices are lost in the fight against Big Business and his Bottom Line.
People have, and continue to, vastly underestimate the stories and contributions of women and girls, not just from tragedies like in "Hear My Sorrow," but even today. I am so mad that this series is now defunct, and that there aren't publishers who would finance such a series, despite the runaway success of this one. ESPECIALLY as the largest women's strike in history just took place, and even there, were people hiring "thugs" to disrupt the peaceful protests and intimidate the women, (and men!) who marched. It would be WONDERFUL if one of the authors of this series, (Kristiana Gregory?) would pen a novel about a young girl today, marching with her mother and grandmother through the streets of D.C., much like in "A Time for Courage" about the Women's Suffrage Movement. If we are not careful history, as it always does, is doomed to repeat itself.
#RESIST
Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. While I have my favorites of the series, ("A Coal Miner's Bride," "Christmas After All,") this one struck a chord with me in particular in this heated political climate. As a union woman myself, (SAG-AFTRA, soon to be AEA) and raised in a family of pro-unioners as well, (NEA, Mechanic's Union) this text, while being VERY depressing, was exactly what I needed to read right now. It has reminded me why I fight; why I have stood on picket lines and protested until the dead of a frigid night, or for hours in unrelenting heat in the summer: that I protest not just for myself, but for workers everywhere whose voices are lost in the fight against Big Business and his Bottom Line.
People have, and continue to, vastly underestimate the stories and contributions of women and girls, not just from tragedies like in "Hear My Sorrow," but even today. I am so mad that this series is now defunct, and that there aren't publishers who would finance such a series, despite the runaway success of this one. ESPECIALLY as the largest women's strike in history just took place, and even there, were people hiring "thugs" to disrupt the peaceful protests and intimidate the women, (and men!) who marched. It would be WONDERFUL if one of the authors of this series, (Kristiana Gregory?) would pen a novel about a young girl today, marching with her mother and grandmother through the streets of D.C., much like in "A Time for Courage" about the Women's Suffrage Movement. If we are not careful history, as it always does, is doomed to repeat itself.
#RESIST
Read
August 2, 2011I read 120 pages in the first sitting, and finished the book the following night. I loved it! It told the story of Angela Denoto and her family. They were Italian immigrants in New York City. The story begins in 1909, when Angela is forced to leave school and work in the sweatshops with her sister to help support her family. The conditions are horrible, and soon she is caught up in the union movement, acting as a translator at rallies and protests. There is a lot of friction between Angela, union activist, and her sister, who decides to break the strike and work at the Triangle factory, one of the largest shops in the city, one that can afford to hire scabs and keep itself running. Luisa is working when the fire starts, but manages to escape death. Her friends are not as lucky.
This story was special to me - my great-grandparents were Italian immigrants, and my grandmother worked in a shop for years. I remember visiting her in the shop - the noise, the poor lighting, the dust - and that was in the 1970s. I saw a lot of my family in this story. It made me smile. The book was well-written - it really made history come alive and has inspired me to read the rest of the series.
This story was special to me - my great-grandparents were Italian immigrants, and my grandmother worked in a shop for years. I remember visiting her in the shop - the noise, the poor lighting, the dust - and that was in the 1970s. I saw a lot of my family in this story. It made me smile. The book was well-written - it really made history come alive and has inspired me to read the rest of the series.
January 25, 2013
A review from my old blog...
One thing I find amazing about the Dear America books is that at the end in the epilogue I always wonder if this is a fictional book based on a real person or simply a fictional character living through real events. The epilogue always seems so real.
This book focused on the life of Angela Denato, a fourteen/fifteen year old girl forced to drop out of school in order to work to support her family. Angela struggles with the desire to strike and earn better working conditions for all of the girls around her, including her older sister who never had the benefit of going to school and having to help provide for her family because her father was often out of work and her younger sister struggled with sickness that eventually claimed her life.
I've often thought about what I would do if I were in that situation. I believe that a person needs to submit to authority and thus I do not really support modern day strikes such as the current writer's strike. I do see how that unless these people made the effort to strike working conditions would never have changed or at least would have taken many more years and the lives of many more innocent poor.
It's an interesting conundrum and very thought provoking.
One thing I find amazing about the Dear America books is that at the end in the epilogue I always wonder if this is a fictional book based on a real person or simply a fictional character living through real events. The epilogue always seems so real.
This book focused on the life of Angela Denato, a fourteen/fifteen year old girl forced to drop out of school in order to work to support her family. Angela struggles with the desire to strike and earn better working conditions for all of the girls around her, including her older sister who never had the benefit of going to school and having to help provide for her family because her father was often out of work and her younger sister struggled with sickness that eventually claimed her life.
I've often thought about what I would do if I were in that situation. I believe that a person needs to submit to authority and thus I do not really support modern day strikes such as the current writer's strike. I do see how that unless these people made the effort to strike working conditions would never have changed or at least would have taken many more years and the lives of many more innocent poor.
It's an interesting conundrum and very thought provoking.
March 1, 2010
It's 1909 in New York City, and fourteen-year-old Angela Denoto has just left school to get a job so she can help support her Italian immigrant family, even though secretly she longs to continue her education. Before she leaves, her teacher gives her a diary as a gift, and Angela begins to write in it. She describes how she gets a job at a shirtwaist factory and faces long working hours in terrible conditions. When the workers go on strike, Angela joins them, but in the end they accomplish little but to show their strength. She also describes personal tragedies, the loss of family and friends to illness, and then the devastating fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, where her sister and some of her friends work.
I really enjoyed this new book from the Dear America series. I recommend it to all readers who enjoyed other books in the series, or who enjoy historical fiction or who are interested in this time period in history. Deborah Hopkinson has done a wonderful job at bringing Angela's story to life.
I really enjoyed this new book from the Dear America series. I recommend it to all readers who enjoyed other books in the series, or who enjoy historical fiction or who are interested in this time period in history. Deborah Hopkinson has done a wonderful job at bringing Angela's story to life.
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